ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has taken notice after the Government of Sindh transferred returning officers and electoral staff ahead of the second phase of Local Government (LG) elections.

The Sindh government has reportedly transferred 20 Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers. The election commission has taken notice and sent a letter to the chief secretary expressing concerns over the transfers while the election process.

The electoral body said that transfer of returning officers and assistant returning officers should be withdrawn immediately. It said the electoral staff cannot be transferred or posted until the second phase of local bodies elections is completed.

A day earlier, the ECP reserved its verdict in the case related to holding LG elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions after several delays.

However, the federal and provincial governments refused to provide the required assistance and sought to defer the elections by three months.

The representatives of the federal Interior Ministry conveyed to the ECP that military and paramilitary personnel could not be assigned election duties in the polls due to their extensive engagements in different parts of the country.

The Sindh government cited the engagement of Sindh police in flood relief operations and refused the provision of the required number of police personnel for security during polls/

The five-member ECP bench comprising Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja reserved verdict in the case which will be announced next Tuesday, November 22.

The LG elections in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions were scheduled on October 23, but were postponed for the third time due to the lack of security personnel.

On August 24, the ECP postponed the LG polls in all seven districts of the Karachi division on account of torrential rains that triggered heavy flooding in various parts of Karachi and the rest of Sindh. It also postponed polls in nine districts of Hyderabad division

The polls in Karachi and Hyderabad divisions were earlier scheduled on July 24 under the second phase but were postponed keeping in view the weather forecast of heavy downpours in the monsoon season.

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